Urinary segregation

Sex segregation in public restrooms refers to the separation of public toilets into the sex categories of male and female. In the United States, sex-based separation of public restrooms began in the late 19th century as a response to women not having toilets available to them in the workplace. In contemporary times, this separation is typically enforced by both city laws and building codes. Key differences between male and female restrooms in most western countries include the presence of urinals for men and sanitary bins for the disposal of menstrual hygiene products for women.

Sex-segregated toilets date back to the 18th century in Paris.

In 1887, the Massachusetts legislature introduced and enacted a law that mandated the separation of bathrooms by sex. While there existed separate restrooms for males and females prior to 1887, this was the first law of its kind. The provision, titled “An Act To Secure Proper Sanitary Provisions In Factories and Workshops,” called for suitable and separate restrooms for females in the workplace.

In 1887, Massachusetts became the first state in the United States to pass legislation requiring any workplace with female employees to have a female-specific restroom. Subsequently, other states created similar laws, often by amending existing protective labor legislation. 43 states had passed similar legislation by 1920.

Legal scholar Terry S. Kogan lists four primary rationales for sex-segregated toilets as detailed by state statutes and related literature during this time period: sanitation, women's privacy, the protection of women's bodies, which were seen as weaker, and to protect social morality especially as it pertained to the nineteenth century ideology of separate spheres. Kogan's argument that modern-day restroom segregation emerged out of this Victorian model of gender has been cited in historical overviews of this topic by Time,Public Radio International and The Washington Post.

The separation of bathrooms by sex in the United States was influenced by a number of factors. A combination of Victorian Era morals and concerns over public health fueled the desire to create separate toilet facilities. These Victorian Era morals of the 19th century held women accountable for being virtuous and modest, as well as cast them into the role of homemakers, mothers, and wives. As a consequence, men and women were placed into separate spheres: the former occupied the public (such as the workplace), whereas the latter were assigned to the private sphere (the home). The Industrial Revolution, paired with the emergence of new technology and a booming economy, began to draw women out of the home and into the workplace– as a result, women began to enter the public sphere, a domain that was previously occupied by men. This was a cause for concern for Victorian regulators– they deemed the public dangerous and held the view that women, their morality, and their privacy were at stake by the “predatory” male; they pushed for separate restroom facilities for women in order to protect their reputation and well-being.

...
Wikipedia